Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to biomedical device accessories. More specifically, it relates an applicator for skin adhesive. The skin adhesive is applied, via the applicator to the exterior of a biomedical device that requires regular contact with a user's skin. Once a layer of adhesive is applied to the exterior of the biomedical device, it can be safely secured to the patient's skin for a limited duration of time. The applicator is especially well suited to the task of applying adhesive to breathing masks.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of respiratory treatment involving the steady flow if forced air into a patient's respiratory passages. The treatment is used to aid patients suffering from a number of respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea, collapsed airways, respiratory infection, and certain neuromuscular conditions. By continuously forcing air into the patient's lungs, the CPAP machine helps prevent airways from collapsing and ensures that patients receive adequate air intake with each breath.
In most units is air stream is generated by a propeller within a base station and pushed through a tube connected to a facemask. This face mask is placed over the patient's nose and mouth and snuggly fitted to the skin, in order to trap air within the quarantined area and enable same to enter the patient's nose and mouth. Proper function of the device requires that the mask be firmly seated on the patient's face, otherwise air may leak out of the spaces between the mask and the patient's face.
To keep CPAP masks firmly seated in the proper position, healthcare professionals have developed several securing methods. Some masks come with elaborate harness structures that encircle the user's head in multiple directions. The harness restricts movement of the mask, but may also encumber the patient's normal head movement. Other methods include the application of adhesive tape to the mask edges. The tape is firmly pressed to the mask and then the mask is pressed down onto the user's skin. Variations on this method include masks that come with adhesive pre-applied to the mask edge. These adhesion methods require that the mask be discarded once the adhesive material has worn off, thus making them an expensive option for every day use.
A CPAP mask securing method is needed that does not result in the constriction of the wearer's head movements and does not require frequent discarding of masks. The present invention provides an adhesive applicator for applying skin safe adhesive to the edges of a CPAP mask. In this manner, the invention provides patients with an inexpensive and easy to use means of securing a mask to their face.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to adhesive applicators. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to adhesive applicators with convex application structures. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One method of adhering a CPAP mask to patient's face involves the application of double-sided tape. The tape is coated on one or both sides with a skin adhesive and on at least one side with a plastic suitable adhesive. In Beevers, US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0006329, a piece of U-shaped double-sided tape is disclosed. The tape is placed over the bridge of the nose and long opposing sides, near the joint of the nose and the face. A CPAP mask is then placed in position over the nose and mouth then pressed downwards to form a seal between the mask and exposed portion of the u-shaped tape. This method is problematic because any dirt and debris that accumulate on the tape can reduce effectiveness of the invention. The present invention solves this problem by providing an applicator for applying liquid adhesive directly to the CPAP mask.
Some CPAP masks directly integrate the adhesive into the mask. By way of example, Schrader, US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0284479 teaches a CPAP mask with a seal around the interior perimeter of the mask. This seal is coated in an adhesive substance that bonds gently to a patient's skin. The mask can be easily removed via the application of retrograde force. The problem with such masks is that they must be replaced after the adhesive wears off, making their use expensive and impractical for many patients. The present invention facilitates reuse of the same CPAP mask with renewed application of adhesive from the applicator.
Disposable masks having adhesive bonding around the perimeter were created to address the problem involved with cost of adhesive masks. Bordewick, U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,606 teaches a facemask that covers the nose and has a triangular formation of adhesive bonding around the perimeter. Respiratory tubing can be secured to the mask through an opening. After the mask is used, it is discarded. Though these masks may be made of cheaper materials, they do not resolve the cost associated with the frequent purchase of new masks. The present invention does not require users to frequently purchase new supplies because the same CPAP mask can be continuously used so long as adhesive fluid is available for the applicator.
Pressure sensitive adhesives are known in the art of adhesion and have found many applications since their conception. Amano, U.S. Pat. No. 8,318,859 teaches a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive is applied to two distinct objects, which are then pressed together to form a bond. Retrograde force may be sufficient to break the seal depending upon the strength of the force applied.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. They do not provide a system for reapplying adhesive to a facemask, so that the mask may be reused. The present invention provides an applicator for dispersing adhesive onto a CAP mask, thereby facilitating securement of the mask. Adhesive may be continuously reapplied using the applicator of the present invention. It substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing mask-retention devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.